This relates to semiconductor devices, such as integrated circuits and the like and their manufacture, including capacitors suitable for the high power operation, as well as to integration of such capacitors in series with resistors.
High performance integrated power modules require improved power distribution and decoupling as compared with conventional circuit devices. Inductive and capacitive parasitic losses present in conventional single chip packaging and surface mount technology dictate that many new high performance circuit designs be implemented using multi-chip module packaging technologies.
Multi-chip module packages enable more integrated circuits to be packed into a given area. In addition to reducing size, such technology permits increased speed because interconnect distances are shorter. High switching speeds, high bandwidth and high dynamic range of these circuits require that the power/ground distribution systems provide very low impedance decoupling with low noise and ripple.
In power modules where substantial current switching occurs, the decoupling performance is directly affected by the series inductance between capacitor elements and the power and ground planes. Voltage spikes caused by L*di/dt effects may result in severe electric stress of the integrated components and are a main source of electromagnetic interference (EMI) noise.
Existing low profile, low equivalent series inductance (ESL) surface mount capacitors typically require about four patterning levels to manufacture and are expensive. Capacitors fabricated with emerging silicon technologies using high-k dielectrics are typically limited to voltages less than about 10 volts.
A need exists for improvements in capacitors and their fabrication such as for improved low inductance, low cost, low profile, surface mount capacitors for use in integrated power multi-chip module packages. Example applications may include RC snubber and decoupling capacitors in a synchronous buck converter.